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Ramón J. Cruz Díaz

Ramón J. Cruz Díaz

Ramón J. Cruz Díaz

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Creative professional with a passion for international travel, equity and social justice. Environmentalist with nearly 20 years of experience in the crossroads of environmental policy, urban affairs, and working at local, regional, national and international spheres for non-governmental and governmental institutions. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Institute for Transportation and Development Policy 2009-Present International Policy Program Director (with interruptions) Strategy Formulation, Policy Implementation and Partnership Development • Design and implement policy strategic plans, research priorities, advocacy efforts and political strategy for ITDP, as well as for partnerships and executive committees of international initiatives: the Partnership for Sustainable Low Carbon (SLOCAT), Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All), the Transport Decarbonisation Alliance (TDA), the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI) and the Bridging the Gap Initiative. • Serve as SLOCAT’s Senior UN Liaison to the country missions in New York, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the High Level Political Forum, and the UNEP and UN-HABITAT Governing Councils. In the past, did the same for the UN Secretary General’s High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport, the UN Commission on and the Post-2015 Process that led to the SDGs. • Advise and monitor the multilateral development banks’ Rio+20 voluntary commitment of $175 Billion to sustainable transport and engage with the MDB’s Working Group on Sustainable Transport. Management, Monitoring and Evaluation • Direct and manage ITDP’s international climate and sustainable development policy work and staff initiatives. • Develop and monitor budget and write grant and fundraising proposals. • Manage program staff and delegations that attend international negotiations and conferences. Research and Outreach • Devise and edit the policy briefs series Access For All: Policies for Inclusive Transit Oriented Development. • Advanced a low-carbon transit platform for cities in the United States, based on ITDP’s successful BRT program. • Publication: Recapturing Global Leadership in : A Survey of U.S. Cities.

Greenhouse Gas Management Institute 2015-2016 Senior Fellow, Transport • Developed training modules, curriculum and presentations for the Global Green Growth Institute to train government officials and stakeholders globally on mobility and climate change based on their Green Growth Knowledge Platform.

Environmental Quality Board, Government of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 2013–2015 Vice President, Deputy Director and Associate Member (appointed by Governor Garcia Padilla in April 2013) • Acted as the principal state environmental regulator and custodian of the environmental laws and regulations of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. • Conducted adjudicative proceedings to enforce environmental regulations and decision-making regarding permitting processes to facilities or actions by government agencies, private companies or public utilities. • Assisted the Governor and the Executive Director in the development of the environmental public policy regarding the environmental impacts in air, water and soil, light and noise and environmental emergencies. • When delegated, represented the Executive Director in all duties of the position such as supervising the daily activities and administrative tasks of the agency. • Advocated and influenced the Energy Reform that created the Energy Regulatory Commission (State Law 57-2014) to ensure reliable, efficient, affordable and through regulatory and market mechanisms.

World Bank, Washington, DC 2012-2013 Consultant, Sub-Saharan Africa Transportation Program (SSATP) • Managed a team of consultants in the coordination of the Environmentally Sustainable Transport Forum for Africa. • Represented SSATP at the UNEP and UN-HABITAT Governing Councils. German International Technical Cooperation Agency (GIZ) 2011-2012 Consultant, Energy, Water and Transport Department • Created a for and Climate Change capacity building and assessment training for government officials in Latin America.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), San Jose, Costa Rica 2010-2011 Consultant, International Program • Advised the government of Costa Rica towards a reform of the transport and energy sectors based on carbon emissions reduction within the transport industry and the development of a Center for Energy Efficiency.

Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY 2007-2010 Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, Graduate Center for Urban and Environmental Planning • Created and taught course titled “Cities and Climate Change” to graduate students of urban planning. Partnership for & The New York City Investment Fund, New York, NY 2008-2009 Vice President, Energy & Environment • Served as the business representative to Mayor Bloomberg’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, energy and environment state and city agencies, legislative committees, environmental offices in member companies, and advocacy organizations. • Performed policy analysis and helped developed the organization’s position on legislation and public policies related to transport, , energy and sustainability. • Helped in the influential report Growth or Gridlock: The Economic Case for Traffic Relief and Transit Improvement; and to produce New York City’s blueprint for sustainable growth and climate change “PlaNYC” • Worked with energy utilities and energy companies to build consensus for developing priorities in the energy sector. • Coordinated the private sector input on the Energy Efficiency and package of legislation • Assisted to develop a Cleantech initiative to promote investment and economic development in the areas of green technologies, energy efficiency and green mobility (i.e. Citibike’s bike share system). • Chaired the “Employer’s collaboration committee” of the Green Collar Jobs Roundtable. Environmental Defense Fund, New York, NY 2002–2008 Senior Policy Analyst, Living Cities Program Transportation • Contributed to analysis and co-authored All Choked Up: Heavy Traffic, Dirty Air and the Risk to New Yorkers. • Chaired the legislative committee and became a spokesperson of the Campaign for NY Future in support of Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC and . • Conducted -miles traveled (VMT) analysis and research to author Trash and the City: Towards a cleaner, more equitable waste transfer system in New York City. • Collaborated with environmental advocacy and transportation organizations in Mexico City to develop an urban transportation model for the city that served as a basis for mass transit improvements. Air Quality and Technologies to improve pollution from • Worked with NYC government officials and other organizations to pass Local Law 77 of 2003 to use cleaner fuels and best retrofit technologies in the City’s fleet and machinery. Solid • NYC Program – Played a leading role in the advocacy efforts to restart the NYC Recycling Program in 2004 Co-authored report Recycling Returns: 10 Reforms for making NYC’s Recycling Program more cost-effective. • Co-authored the only amicus brief with an environmental perspective in support of the Supreme Court case “United Haulers Assoc. v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Management Authority,” later used in a unanimous decision. Energy Efficiency and Green Buildings • Served as lead advocate from EDF for Local Law 86 of 2005, requiring new energy efficiency standards for the city. • Co-authored report Infrastructure and Community: How can we live with what sustain us?, which presents concepts and ideas to improve efficiency and performance of municipal infrastructure. and Brownfields • Played a leading role in various NYC Uniform Land Use Review Procedures for various infrastructure projects. • Played an active role in the negotiations of the State of Quintana Roo’s Land Use Plan revision of 2005 in Mexico. CARE, Gwira Banso, Ghana 2001 Consultant, Gwira Banso Joint Forest Management and Carbon Sequestration Project • Conducted a cost-benefit analysis of several cash crops that informed project’s strategy to advise rainforest farmers. • Developed a participatory methodology to analyze the economic and environmental impacts of the project’s activities.

Caribbean Environment and Development Institute, San Juan, Puerto Rico 1999-2000 Program Manager, San Juan Bay National Estuary Program & Jobos Bay Sustainability Project • Supervised staff of five, managed budget, wrote grant proposals, served as spokesperson, and coordinated community initiatives and sustainable economic development projects. • Edited drafts of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the San Juan Bay Estuary and coordinated public participation activities for the program. • Coordinated meetings of the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in decision-making process for sustainable development.

EDUCATION Princeton University, Princeton, NJ - Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs 2002 Masters in Public Affairs & Masters in Urban and Regional Planning Certificate in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy

The American University, Washington, D.C. - School of International Service 1998 Bachelor of Arts in International Studies & History (Double Major) Cum Laude; Dean’s List 1995-1998; Phi Alpha Theta History National Honor Society 1998 Multi-Cultural Affairs Award for Academic Excellence and Community Service

BOARD OF DIRECTORS & ADVISORY BOARDS (selection) Government: Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (by German Government), Advisory Committee & Challenge Jury, since 2016 New York City Energy Policy Task force, 2008-2009 New York City Solid Waste Advisory Board, since 2003-2010 Mayor Bloomberg’s Sustainability Advisory Committee (PlaNYC), 2006-2009 New York State, Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Environmental Justice Advisory Committee, 2005-2009 Non-governmental: Sierra Club, National Board of Directors, since 2017 Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All), Executive Committee, since 2016 Global Environment Facility, Civil Society Organizations Network, Steering Committee, since 2015 Enlace Latino de Acción Climática, Board of Advisors, 2015-2016 Environmental Advocates of New York, Board of Directors, 2009-2013 We Act for Environmental Justice, Board of Directors, 2009-2013 Transportation Alternatives, Advisory Council, 2007-2013 New Partners for Community Revitalization, Board of Directors, 2009-2011

PUBLICATIONS (selection) • El Nuevo Dia, Urban and Environment monthly columnist for the largest daily newspaper in Puerto Rico • Various Op-Ed Columns in The Hill, The New York Times, Buzzfeed.com and El Diario/La Prensa • Commonwealth Business Council. Africa Infrastructure Investment Report 2013 (Contr. Author). , UK. 2013. • United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). The Emissions Gap Report 2012 (Contr. Author). Nairobi, Kenya. 2012. • United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, UNEP and Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI). Sustainable Cities: Building Cities for the Future. (Contr. Author). 2012. • Green Media and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Climate Action: Assisting business towards carbon neutrality. (Contr. Author). Durban, South Africa. 2011.

LANGUAGES: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, and French (basic knowledge)

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